The All-New 2018 Triumph Tiger 800 Range Brings Big Changes To A Middleweight Favorite

The Triumph Tiger 800 is an eminently friendly, capable middleweight that has found a lot of fans both on road and off since 2010. To improve the line, Triumph took the next-generation bike to the ends of the earth and back and made both a more capable and more technologically advanced machine.

The biggest changes can be found with the design and technology improvements. Like its 2018 Tiger 1200 stablemate, the Tiger 800 features sharper styling, more refined surface treatments (such as LED lighting), and a generally more handsome shape. It's grown more organic over its predecessor, and offers a good contrast to the more aggressively styled ADV bikes on the market.

A TFT dashboard, up to six riding modes, redesigned switchgear incorporating backlit buttons, and distinctive all-LED lighting bring a significant amount of refinement over its predecessor. Comfort and ergonomic improvements include moving the handlebars back by 10mm for a more, higher, new five-position adjustable windscreen and aero diffusers for a claimed segment-leading aero protection, and a new seat compound.

And it wouldn’t be a new model without some added performance either. The Tiger 800 has higher-specification Brembo front brakes and Showa adjustable suspension; a new, shorter-ratio first gear; a new Off-Road Pro riding mode; switchable ABS; and a lighter, freer-flowing exhaust. Triumph also notes that the 800cc triple has been dynamically balanced.

One killer app the Tiger has had over its competition is its expansive model options in its range. The Tiger range has an option for every type of adventure experience from the road-focused Tiger XR, mid-spec XRX, and top-spec XRT, to the off-focused Tiger XCX and touring-focused XCA. There’s also a XRx low-ride-height model.

Although not gaining a ton of power or rider aid suite, the Tiger 800 range seems to add to what owners loved about the bike, without detracting from its simplicity and balance of technology and approachability.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our coverage of all the new motorcycles released at EICMA this year